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231 Detroit St, Suite 100  ·  Cherry Creek, CO 80206
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M&A Advisory  ·  AI & Digitalization  ·  Operational Advisory

The M&A Standard. Redefined.

The only fully integrated M&A advisory, AI & digitalization, and operational advisory firm purpose-built for the lower and middle market.

Schedule a Discovery Call Our Philosophy
~$5B
Total Deal Value
75+
Acquisitions & Exits
20x
Peak MOIC
25+
Yrs Avg Tenure
CM&AA Credentialed
CPSM Certified
Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt
Doctorate in Computer Science
AM&AA Member
ACG Affiliated
~$5B Total Deal Value of Team
75+ Portco Acquisitions & Exits
20x MOIC Last Portfolio Exit
25+ Years Average Team Tenure
Lower & Middle Market Up to $250M Revenue
Cherry Creek, CO  ·  National Practice
CM&AA Credentialed
CPSM Certified
Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt
Doctorate in Computer Science
AM&AA Member
ACG Affiliated
~$5B Total Deal Value of Team
75+ Portco Acquisitions & Exits
20x MOIC Last Portfolio Exit
25+ Years Average Team Tenure
Lower & Middle Market Up to $250M Revenue
Cherry Creek, CO  ·  National Practice
The Firm

Built for the Modern PE Environment

PE advisory has evolved. Quantum is the new modern standard. Grounded in original industry research and built on protected intellectual frameworks, QPP's standard has been proven in the field and validated by acquisitions, exits, and outsized MOIC returns.

The only fully integrated team with the experience, know-how, and capabilities to architect outcomes at every level and function of your organization.

M&A Advisory

Every phase. Every workstream. Every outcome. Full-cycle sell-side and buy-side transaction management from origination through post-close integration.

AI & Digitalization

Proprietary. Original. Academically validated. The DMSA framework converts technology diligence into a measurable driver of enterprise value.

Operational Advisory

Every function. Every stage. From diligence through transformation planning, operational improvement, and pre-exit preparation alongside your team.

How We Engage

Three Levels. One Integrated Team.

QPP operates across three levels simultaneously — because real enterprise value is not created in isolation.

Level 01

Portfolio Company

Inside the business. Any stage. Any function. From transaction planning and diligence through post-close transition, the full hold period, and exit — one integrated plan, one point of accountability.

Level 02

Fund / Portfolio Level

Alongside your Operating Partner structure. Across the entire portfolio. Cross-portfolio synergies, consistent digitalization strategy, and operational improvements no single-company advisor ever sees.

Level 03

PE Firm Level

In direct support of the GP and firm-level team. Deal strategy, thesis development, AI adoption, capital deployment, diligence workflow, and building the firm's lasting operational advantage.

What We Do

Focused & Integrated Capabilities

01

M&A Advisory

Full-cycle sell-side and buy-side transaction management spanning valuation, CIM development, curated buyer outreach, disciplined negotiation, and deal structuring built to protect your outcome.

02

AI & Technology Value Creation

AI readiness, deployment, and full-stack acquisition technology integration engineered as a value creation discipline for PE-backed environments — not a cost center or a checkbox.

03

Operational Advisory

Battle-tested operators embedded from Day 1 through exit, driving 100-day execution, EBITDA capture, integration, org design, and pre-exit positioning across the full hold period.

+

Specialized Services

Sale Readiness Assessment, DMSA, Capital Advisory, Fractional Executive Services, Office of the CFO, Performance Elevation Blueprint, and Active Portfolio Partnership.

The QPP Difference

Operator-Led Execution.
Execution That Stays Behind.

Operators First. Principal-Led. Always.

We are former PE portfolio company executives who have lived every phase of the deal cycle from the inside and carried the same accountability you are placing on your portcos today.

Player-Coaches, Not Sideline Advisors.

We work inside your teams, not above them. We build, execute, and teach alongside your people so that when we leave, the capability stays behind. Your team owns the result.

Unmatched Capability. One Accountable Team.

Our deeply vetted operators integrate seamlessly into one team, one goal, one strategy, one plan, and one outcome. No conflicting agendas. No fragmented workstreams. No exceptions.

"Most advisors see three independent levers. We see one system. The intentional balance between multiple arbitrage, financial engineering, and EBITDA expansion is where real enterprise value is created or destroyed."

Dr. Sean Saunders — Managing Partner
Insights & Research

Intellectual Authority

Doctoral Research

The Digitalization Strategies that Optimize Enterprise Values in Private Equity

A qualitative exploratory study establishing AI as a measurable enterprise value creation discipline in the lower middle market.

Colorado Technical University  ·  DCS Dissertation
Industry Research

SaaS is Dead, Long Live SaS: The Architecture Shift Redefining Platform Value

Chronological precedence research on the SaaS-to-SaS transition and its implications for PE investment thesis construction and platform valuation.

QPP Research Series  ·  2024
Speaking & Panels

AI in Private Equity: From Checkbox to Value Creation Instrument

CPE-accredited panel curriculum exploring practical AI frameworks in PE-backed environments. Submitted for AM&AA accreditation.

AM&AA Panel Series  ·  2024
The Engagement Model

How QPP Enters
Your Organization

Every engagement follows the same discipline: full accountability, one integrated team, measurable outcomes tied to your thesis. Click any phase to see how we engage.

1

Discovery & Thesis Alignment

We map your investment thesis, current portfolio state, and the specific value creation levers most material to your outcome.

2

Diligence & Assessment

DMSA, sale readiness, operational benchmarking, financial normalization — across every dimension of the business simultaneously.

3

100-Day Execution Plan

A thesis-aligned roadmap with defined milestones, resource allocation, and individual accountability — deployed at close, not after.

4

Embedded Execution

Our team operates inside your portco — building capability, capturing EBITDA, and executing the plan with full accountability through the hold period.

5

Pre-Exit Positioning & Close

Financial normalization, exit narrative development, management team preparation, data room coordination, and buyer-ready positioning for a premium outcome.

Phase 01 of 05
Discovery & Thesis Alignment
We begin every engagement the same way — earning the right to be trusted with your thesis. We map your investment rationale, the value creation levers you have already identified, and the gaps between where the business is today and where it needs to be at exit. This phase produces a shared operating picture that all parties align to before a single dollar of execution begins.
5–10
Business Days
1
Integrated Plan
100%
Aligned Before Action
The Standard

QPP vs. Conventional Advisory

This is what separates a partner who architects certainty from one who delivers a report and a bill.

Capability Quantum Performance Partners Conventional Advisors
Engagement modelPrincipal-led execution at every phaseDelegated to junior staff post-engagement
M&A + Ops + AI in one teamOne fully integrated team across all three disciplinesSeparate firms, fragmented accountability
Proprietary AI diligence frameworkDMSA — academically validated, 10 dimensionsGeneric IT checklist or none at all
Operator pedigreeFormer PE portfolio company C-suite executivesConsulting or banking background only
Value creation methodologyProprietary, academically grounded, field-validatedOff-the-shelf frameworks and generic playbooks
Post-close executionEmbedded through exit, capability stays behindEngagement typically ends at close
Fee alignmentAligned to outcomes, not billable hoursRetainer-based, billable hours incentivize duration
Cross-level portfolio visibilitySimultaneous portco / portfolio / PE firm executionSingle-company view, no cross-portfolio insight
News & Events

Latest from QPP

All News & Research
Panel & Speaking
June 2025  ·  Chicago, IL  ·  AM&AA

AI in Private Equity Panel — AM&AA Chicago

Dr. Sean Saunders will join Dr. Dustin Sachs (Founder & CEO, PsyberCOG Labs) and fellow panelists at the AM&AA conference in Chicago for a CPE-accredited panel on AI in private equity. The session covers practical AI frameworks, the DMSA methodology, and AI as a measurable enterprise value discipline.

Connect with Us in Chicago
Advisory Board
2025  ·  Academic & Industry

Dr. Saunders Joins CTU College of Business & Management Industry Council

Dr. Sean Saunders has accepted membership on Colorado Technical University's College of Business & Management Industry Council — bringing practitioner perspective on AI, digitalization, and enterprise value creation to the next generation of business leaders.

About Dr. Saunders
Research
2024–2025  ·  QPP Research Series

QPP Invited to Publish Research Series for Leading M&A Industry Organization

Quantum Performance Partners has been invited to publish an original research series for a leading M&A industry organization — establishing QPP as the authoritative practitioner voice on AI and digitalization as enterprise value creation disciplines in the lower middle market.

View Research & Publications
Thought Leadership

Upcoming Speaking & Events

Dr. Saunders delivers keynotes, moderates panels, and leads workshops on AI, digitalization, and M&A value creation at conferences across the United States.

Request Dr. Saunders to Speak
May 5–7, 2025

DealMax 2025

Las Vegas, NV  ·  AM&AA

QPP at the premier deal origination conference. Connecting with PE sponsors, family offices, and M&A intermediaries across the lower and middle market.

June 2025

AM&AA Annual Conference — Chicago

Chicago, IL  ·  Panel Speaker

Dr. Saunders joins Dr. Dustin Sachs and fellow panelists for a CPE-accredited session on AI in private equity — covering the DMSA framework and AI as a measurable enterprise value discipline.

2025 National Circuit

AI as a Value Creation Discipline

National  ·  Keynote

Dr. Saunders' signature keynote establishing AI as a measurable enterprise value lever — not a cost center or a checkbox — delivered at PE and M&A conferences nationally.

Ongoing

PE Firm Workshops: DMSA in Practice

By Invitation  ·  Private

Private workshops for GP teams and operating partners on deploying the DMSA framework as a live diligence and value creation instrument across the portfolio.

Ongoing

AM&AA CPE Panel Series

National  ·  CPE Accredited

CPE-accredited panel curriculum on AI frameworks in PE-backed environments. Co-presented with Dr. Dustin Sachs (PsyberCOG Labs) and Philip Barber (Ripple Group).

Bring QPP to Your Event

Dr. Saunders is available for keynotes, panel moderation, and workshops on AI, M&A, and enterprise value creation.

Inquire Now
Ready to Explore a Partnership?

Schedule a Discovery Call Today

Let's discuss where you are in the deal cycle and how QPP can architect the certainty your portfolio demands.